1:3:3 Sourdough Starter Feeding Chart to Make 120g Levain (17g : 51g : 52g)
Balanced mid-ratio baker's math to build 120g of active levain (100% Liquid) for an 8 - 10 hrs ripening window.
Feed 1:3:3 and you get 17g seed starter, 51g flour and 52g water, adding up to the 120g you actually need. That 100% Liquid culture peaks in 8 - 10 hrs at 75°F. Add the 20g buffer and the numbers shift to 20g / 60g / 60g for a 140g jar. Perfect for 8–10 hour overnight counter build (cool room).
- Exact 120g Build
- 17g : 51g : 52gStarter : Flour : Water (1:3:3)
- 120g + 20g Jar Reserve
- 20g : 60g : 60gBuilds 140g total (0g discard waste)
- Estimated Peak Window
- 8 - 10 hrsAt 74°F–76°F (23.5°C–24.5°C)
- Levain Hydration
- 100%8–10 hour overnight counter build (cool room)
120g 1:3:3 Feeding Neighbourhood: Seed, Flour, Water & Peak Window
Neighbourhood of 1:3:3 builds used to sanity-check a scaled recipe before committing flour to the mixer.
| Levain Yield | Culture (1) | Feed Flour (3) | Feed Water (3) | Estimated Peak Window |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 140g target ([Target]) | seed 20g | flour 60g | water 60g | ripe in 8 - 10 hrs |
| 120g target (One Step Down) | seed 17g | flour 51g | water 52g | ripe in 8 - 10 hrs |
| 100g target (One Step Up) | seed 14g | flour 43g | water 43g | ripe in 8 - 10 hrs |
| 130g target (Two Steps Down) | seed 19g | flour 56g | water 55g | ripe in 8 - 10 hrs |
| 110g target (Two Steps Up) | seed 16g | flour 47g | water 47g | ripe in 8 - 10 hrs |
Custom Batch Recalculation Engine
Fine-tune starter hydration between 50% stiff and 125% liquid while keeping your starter feeding ratio × target weight ratios locked.
Balancing Yeast Density & Acidity with a 1:3:3 Ratio (120g Levain Build)
The acid dilution is asymmetric: dropping from a 1:1:1 feed to a 1:3:3 feed multiplies the flour and water by 3 and 3 while the seed stays fixed, so at 120g the 17g of inoculum is spread across a far larger medium. That is precisely why 100% Liquid cultures are prized for 8–10 hour overnight counter build (cool room) work.
Readiness, not the clock, should end the feed. The 1:3:3 culture at 120 grams should dome into a taut convex pillow and release gas in visible streaks when the jar is tilted; a levain that merely doubled and stayed flat has not finished fermenting and will underproof the dough.
Zero-Discard Scraping Method for 120g Levain (1:3:3)
- Never Scrap the Jar Clean: Leave a deliberate 20g remnant of starter in the vessel — this is the seed for the next 1:3:3 refresh, not waste.
- Top Up with 60g Flour and 60g Water: These two additions convert your remnant into exactly 140g of 100% Liquid levain.
- Wait for the 8 - 10 hrs Peak: Confirm the dome and the escaping gas streaks before you need the levain.
- Return the Surviving 20g: Whatever levain is left after your bake goes straight back into the jar and the refrigerator, and the cycle repeats without a single discarded gram.
Technical Q&A: 1:3:3 Sourdough Starter Feeding Chart to Make 12
Can I scale this 120 g build up to 240g?
Double every number: 34g starter, 102g flour, 104g water. The ratio, and therefore the 8 - 10 hrs peak, is unchanged.
Should the water be warm or cold for a 1:3:3 feed?
Room temperature, roughly 70°F (21°C). Hotter water risks shocking the culture, while colder water stretches the 8 - 10 hrs peak considerably.
Why does my 1:3:3 levain smell sour instead of sweet?
Sourness means the seed was over-acidic going in. Feed 51g of fresh flour against 17g of the old culture twice in a row at 78°F and the taint disappears.